Sleep Thy Last Sleep

Sleep thy last sleep, free from care and sorrow;
Rest, where none weep, till th’eternal morrow;
Though dark waves roll o’er the silent river,
Thy fainting soul Jesus can deliver.

Life’s dream is past, all its sin, its sadness,
Brightly at last, dawns a day of gladness:
Under thy sod, earth, receive our treasure,
To rest in God, waiting all His pleasure.

Though we may mourn those in life the dearest,
They shall return, Christ, when Thou appearest:
Soon shall thy voice comfort those now weeping,
Bidding rejoice all in Jesus sleeping.

Author: Edward A. Dayman

Year: 1865

Edward Arthur Dayman (1807–1890) is the accepted author of this funeral hymn, which first appeared in his 1865 collection. Some hymnals have listed it as anonymous or attributed it to other editors, but scholarly consensus credits Dayman.